Howard Forward Report

Initiative 1.1

Initiative: Excellence in Teaching, Learning, and Student Success [DS1] through realignment of academic offers, prioritization of building competitive workforce skills in students, and development of distance learning options to increase online offerings. 

Howard carried out a comprehensive review of 141 academic programs during Program Prioritization and established a framework to measure program effectiveness in five key areas through a continuous improvement process. Millions of dollars were awarded to academic programs through the university’s newly minted Prioritization Investment Grants Program. Howard also made university-wide increases to faculty salaries along with strategic investments in new faculty hires to ensure students have an educational experience of exceptional quality. New academic centers, online degrees, dual degree programs, and undergraduate degree completion options have been established to address contemporary academic demands and to foster interdisciplinary collaboration. Underenrolled programs are being sunset, consolidated, restructured, and contemporized to ensure relevance and operational efficiency.

Initiative 1.2

Academic Innovation through the development of new academic programs, improved classroom technology campus-wide, and increased online learning opportunities.

• Howard has established the Office of Academic Innovation and Strategic Initiatives (OAI) to drive development of new and innovative academic programs. Under the inaugural leadership of Dr. Barron Harvey, over 10 new degree and certificate programs have been implemented, with many more in the pipeline to be launched over the next two years. OAI was also instrumental in the development of two new centers: the Center for Applied Data Science and Analytics (CADSA) and the HU-PNC National Center for Entrepreneurship, supporting strategic partnerships, international collaborations, and the commitment to providing students with unique opportunities to engage in research and the society.
• Howard faculty members, serving as content developers, have collaborated with Coursera to launch three specializations and eleven courses covering topics such as project management, data science, business modeling, and cloud technology. These offerings have attracted over 23,000 learners worldwide to date, providing valuable learning opportunities for academic advancement and professional development. OAI is working with faculty across the various schools and colleges to develop innovative and in-demand content to further Howard’s impact and global reach.

Initiative 1.3

Recruitment, Retention, and Access to Education improvements by incorporating new strategies for increasing need- and merit-based funding, using data analytics and AI technology to analyze and plan improvements to retention rates, and champion financial and academic programs that drive student success.

• Increasing student retention means addressing the circumstances such as financial hardship and navigating academic challenges that can lead to dropout and temporary stopouts. Under Howard Forward, we have increased the number of recipients of national and competitive scholarships by nearly 50 percent. We also know that retention must lead to success, and worked hard to increase Howard’s graduation rate, seeing four year-graduation rates rise from 52% for the class of 2019 to 62% for the class of 2023, while six-year graduation rates improved from 65% for the class of 2019 to 69% for the class of 2023. Also, first-year retention rates maintained an average of 90% from 2019 to 2024.
• To support students with navigating academic challenges, we completed a major revision our General Education requirements, developed more flexible curricula, removed legacy requirements that commonly stifled student matriculation, and introduced a new degree-audit system via BisonHub.

Initiative 1.4

Professional Development by prioritizing educational development for faculty and staff, placing emphasis on retention through improved student learning, and creation and implementation of professional advancement plan to continue preparing students for the workforce.

Under Howard Forward, our University increased the number of new faculty completing the New Faculty Orientation (NFO), with a completion rate of 70%, from the original goal of 20%. Additionally, all new Department Chairs and Associate Deans, whether permanent or interim, participate in year-long Chair Leadership Academy (CLA) which offers approximately 35 hours of training. As 60% of other Universities and Colleges do not offer this level of training and support of academic leadership and the remaining percentage of Schools and Colleges only provide on average 4-6 hours total, this program received two commendations from the Middle States in the last accreditation report, acknowledging our pursuit of academic excellence.

Initiative 1.5

Optimize Faculty Workload and Course Offerings by creating a more effective course enrollment process, reducing under- and over-enrollment, and distributing faculty work equitably within departments to balance teaching, scholarship, and service.
 

Supporting faculty and students well is essential to pursuing academic excellence. By implementing our Academic Analytics tool, we are better equipped to understand and support the work our faculty members are doing, reducing unseen workload issues. We understand that this optimization begins at hiring, and thus have streamlined our onboarding processes within our BisonHub platform to support our faculty from day one. Also integrated into BisonHub, Coursedog was significantly updated to improve student user experience and the course selection process.
 

Initiative 2.1

Increase the depth and diversity of research and scholarship.

The number and size of externally funded research grants awarded to our University has surpassed projections, exceeding $106 million in FY2023. Howard University continues to grow as a premier research institution, currently holding R2 ‘High Research Activity’ status from the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. The university aims to achieve R1 ‘Very High Research Activity’ status by 2025, already outpacing the average R1 institution in the conferral of doctoral degrees by nearly two-to-one.

Initiative 2.2

Increase the number of students who participate in study abroad experiences and high-impact academic and extracurricular activities that expand thinking, promote diversity of thought, civil discourse, and empathy.

A new exchange program with University College Dublin Business Schools was launched, focusing on Diversity & Inclusion and Sustainability in Business, further enhancing students' international exposure and learning experiences

Initiative 2.3 

To support opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration and co-creation that produces 20 percent joint academic programs and research partnerships.

Howard University partnered with the University of Illinois Chicago and the University of Miami for a clinical trial addressing opioid use disorder, focusing on the disproportionately affected Black population. The Howard University Center for Sickle Cell Disease also organized its 17th annual Cure Sickle Cell Now Move-On event to raise awareness and show support for those affected by sickle cell disease.

Initiative 2.4

To support research that addresses local, national, and global health challenges through collaboration with STEM academic fields, such as biology, chemistry, medicine, engineering, and computer science, and the social sciences.

The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation awarded $1 million to the Quantum Biology Laboratory for Matter-to-Life research, marking a massive step in exploring the intersection of quantum physics and biology. An academic partnership with Amazon focused on machine learning and natural language processing, underscoring Howard University’s commitment to uplifting Black academics and perspectives in underrepresented fields. In 2023, Howard University became the first HBCU to lead a University Affiliated Research Center, established by the U.S. Air Force and Department of Defense. Through the center, our University was awarded a five-year, $90 million contract to conduct research on efficient, affordable, and trustworthy human-machine teaming and systems-of-systems with autonomy and artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities, aligning with the modernization priorities of the U.S. Air Force, Space Force, and DOD.
 

Initiative 3.1

Develop effective models for industry and community engagement through expansion of Howard University’s Alternative Spring Break and Day of Service initiatives. Progressively increase service opportunities and programs, tracking progress through a system that globally monitors service delivery by our students, faculty, and staff to the public.
 

• Howard has begun surveying students, faculty, and staff about their community engagement and volunteer hours. Based on the Independent Sector’s Value of Volunteer Time, we calculate the value of that service each year.
• Howard University Alternative Spring Break (HUASB) is a service-learning program designed to connect students with underserved communities and challenge them to discern how their unique gifts and skills can be used to address the problems of communities in need and the world at-large. Through HUASB’s partnerships with cities across the world, Howard University has sent thousands of students to serve in domestic and international sites across the nation and the world.

Initiative 3.2

Serve the District of Columbia through strategic and effective engagement with its citizens, businesses, and K-16 institutions to enhance educational outcomes in Washington, D.C.
 

• Through the Girls’ Empowerment and Advocacy Program, Dr. Sandra Kalu, Assistant Professor, School of Social Work, engages students in advocacy and research-building skills to support their commitment to equitable educational policies and practices, serving high school girls in the District.

• The Howard University Middle School of Mathematics and Science (MS)2 forms a bridge between our University and the District, providing educational opportunities for local middle schoolers and student teaching experiences for School of Education students. In the 2022-2023 school year, student achievement in mathematics increased by 100 percent over the previous year. (MS)2 was selected by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to receive a grant for a project designed to make Algebra 1 more accessible to Black girls.

   

Initiative 3.3

• Howard University is a major economic engine for both the District and the Washington metropolitan area, contributing to the local economies through its growth and continued provision of educated workers and community services.
• By 2030, Howard University anticipates robust growth, with enrollment exceeding 15,000 students, faculty and staff reaching 7,500, and an operating budget approaching $2 billion across all campuses. This expansion would generate significant economic impact, contributing $2.5 billion to DC’s economy and $3.4 billion to the broader Washington metropolitan area. Much of this impact will be in the form of 28,270 direct and indirect, full-time, year-round equivalent jobs locally, regionally, and nationally. District resident workers are projected to accrue $358.4 million in new personal earnings, while those in the wider region are expected to accrue $1.2 billion in new personal earnings.

Initiative 4.1

Operational Excellence and Compliance are achieved by reducing the time to completion of key processes and reviewing the effectiveness and efficiency of administrative, operational, and academic processes.

• The Howard Forward investments in technology and training on platforms such as Canvas and Workday, known to the University community as BisonHub, have modernized operations and revolutionized administrative processes, particularly in HR, finance, and research administration, which significantly improved the experience for our faculty, staff, and students. During the Howard Forward era, the university embraced cloud technology by migrating 95% of our enterprise servers to the Cloud. This has not only reduced costs, but improved scalability, agility, and security across university operations.
• Our University has also increased faculty pay by an average of 20 percent, provided a 7 percent pay raise for staff, and introduced Faculty Success—an online system that captures information about faculty activities in one place, streamlining processes related to appointments, reappointments, promotion, tenure, and sabbatical leave requests.

Initiative 4.2

Campus Footprint and Sustainability efforts were made to reduce the campus’ carbon footprint and energy use by 20 percent and prioritize the Campus Master Plan’s renovations and new construction alignment with academic and research priorities.

In February 2023, Howard launched the $785 million Campus Master Plan, the largest campus development project in our history. The Master Plan included building three new stateof-the-art multidisciplinary academic halls and renovating several existing structures, including the historic Myrtilla Miner Building. The new construction projects are expected to be completed by 2026, with four of nine already complete or near completion.

Initiative 4.3

Procurement process changes improved the performance of the procurement function by implementing “source to pay” industry best practices.

The Howard Forward plan saw great strides in identifying monetary savings in our procurements, with over $11.4 million in savings opportunities from 2020-2024.

Initiative 4.4

Customer Service and Engagement training campus-wide improved the customer service experience for our students and employees, working alongside improvements made to student life via campus housing and streamlined degree programming.

• Continuing our University’s commitment to providing top-tier residential environments for our students, Howard enhanced student housing by closing on a $316 million tax-exempt bond transaction. This strategic financial move was part of a broader $500 million investment plan to revitalize several key housing and student facilities, including Charles R. Drew Hall, George W. Cook Hall, and Harriet Tubman Quadrangle.
• Under Howard Forward, our schools have also reflected on how to offer more efficient and useful programs to our students. The School of Divinity has improved efficiency in education by initiating dual degree programs, such as the Master of Divinity (MDiv) and Master of Business Administration (MBA). The MDiv/MBA degree program allows students to gain a strong theological education and management education to enhance their effectiveness in ministry, business, non-profit, and public sector careers while earning both degrees in less time than completing the degrees separately.
   

Initiative 5.1

Endowment Growth sought to elevate the endowment to $1 billion to increase support for student scholarships and infrastructural investments.

Howard University’s endowment has nearly reached the Howard Forward goal of $1 billion. The years 2019 to 2024 under the Howard Forward Strategic Plan in particular stand out with significant expansion, from $693 million to $927 million, underscoring Howard’s financial capacity to pursue long-term institutional goals.

Initiative 5.2

Improve Development by building infrastructure for sustained corporate and private philanthropy to launch a robust and successful capital campaign, promote top fundraising priorities, and implement strategies to increase alumni and private donor engagement.

The Howard Forward investments initiative in Fiscal Year (FY) 2020 resulted in a surge of alumni donations, peaking at over $171 million in FY2021 and exceeding $200 million annually from FY2022 to FY2023. The Office of Development and Alumni Relations exceeded the Howard Forward philanthropic target goal three years ahead of schedule, experiencing significant growth in the number of alumni donors, including securing the largest gifts ever made by living alumni.

Initiative 5.3

Increase Growth of Revenue Streams through maximized federal funding returns, form real estate partnerships to boost revenue, plan proactively with local governments, and enhance community relations to leverage funding at all government levels.

Working in conjunction with the Campus Master Plan, a $785 million effort to accelerate renovations and construct the first new academic centers on campus since 1984, Howard Forward saw the construction of much needed infrastructure and housing opportunities for students, faculty, and staff. In 2023, Howard University also achieved significant improvements in grant funding, exceeding the 2024 grant goal of $100 million with $106.4 million in grant funding received, and over 60 percent of submitted proposals won.